Aug 28, 2008

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn - Krasnal Bansky in Kislovodsk


Krasnal Bansky. „ГУЛАГ Щ - 202 / Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.” 2008. Oil on canvas. 45 x 54 cm

After the death of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Krasnal Bansky goes to Kislovodsk, the city where the writer was born. He found there the people who remember times of Stalinism and were its committed activists. The artist referred to the times and role they played then and painted their socrealistic portraits. There are representatives of culture sphere on the paintings – two families who till now profess Stalin, they were supporting grand communistic ideas with passion.


Krasnal Bansky. „Painter and writer. Socrealistic portrait of the family Nadhezda and Grigorij Fedoseevi / Kislovodsk”. 2008. Oil on cardboard. 70 x 100 cm (diptych)


Krasnal Bansky. „Painter and writer. Socrealistic portrait of the family Olga and Alieksieij Prokoffievi / Kislovodsk”. 2008. Oil on cardboard. 70 x 100 cm (diptych)


Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn „Russia under Avalanche (Россия в обвале,1998; political pamphlet) – fragment translated by The Krasnals:
“In 20s and 30s thousands of new Soviet intellects were strongly connected with communism and engaged In working In its machinery, mainly In propaganda. They were engaged in writing books, creating muddling songs and movies about the nation; painting huge socrealistic paintings.”

Analogy to our times:
- Great ideologist of new left tendencies - Slavoy Zizek
- Great, eager for Power Polish agitator - Sławomir Sierakowski
- Polish performer of propagandistic paintings, distinguished national artist – Wilhelm Sasnal (the director of the Polish National Gallery Zachęta Agnieszka Morawińska pronounced that this is each Polish citizen’s duty to see his exhibition)
- Great Polish left publishing house - Krytyka Polityczna

Currently in Romania over 30 % of students pronounce for the return of communistic dictatorship. In spite of they didn’t experience it by themselves, they are convinced that the education was on the higher level, life was easier and better, people had better quality of life.
Young people listen to the fantastic theories of the top philosophers like Slavoy Zizek, who produces tones of books as it was for party’s order. It’s a shame that Poland gives place and possibilities for the continuators of the so hated period.

Solzhenitsyn In 1945 was exiled and tortured on Soviet concentration camp by his kind of people, wearing just different kinds of cloths. Contemporary valets of communistic power are the same ruthless and aggressive, they just work In different field.
Nowadays agitators exactly like In past destroy contemporary intelligence, repress the talent, promote the propaganda on the big scale. But this time it’s covered by art market mechanisms and influential art institutions.

1 comment:

  1. the idea of homo sovieticus is still alive in the central and east Europe... Some communities use this fact for they interests quite succesfuly!

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